Weigel writes that "black voters strongly support the Democratic Party, and have since the 1960s, for a number of complicated reasons."

When Weigel says 'a number of complicated reasons' he means 'a small number of uncomplicated reasons', such as "Republicans are racist" and "Even if they're not overtly racist they happily encourage the racist vote" and "every advance in civil rights policy in the United States since the 60s was opposed by Republicans", and "where did Democrats who were racist go in the 60's? to the Republican Party". Phew, that was pretty complicated.

The problem is that while Obama's support among black folks is high, it's only really a bit higher than that of Al Gore, John Kerry, and Bill Clinton, all of whom earned close to 9 out of 10 black votes in their respective elections.

How did that racist Bill Clinton get all of that support?

It seems to me that the 21% of white supremacists in the population are causing his policies to appear less popular than they actually are, eh?

On his 100th day in office, Ronald Reagan enjoys high job approval ratings, no matter what poll you consult. But if a new survey by the New York Times is accurate, the president and some of his policies are significantly less popular with black Americans than with white Americans, and his sky-high ratings among whites make some of his positions appear a bit more popular overall than they actually are.

If blacks, women, secular humanists and atheists, non-fundamentalists, independents and Democrats are taken out of the equation (or, better yet, just taken out period), the popularity of Obama's policies would be significantly less than they otherwise seem.

Weigel writes that "black voters strongly support the Democratic Party, and have since the 1960s, for a number of complicated reasons."

I'll boil it down to two words for ya, M31:

Southern strategy. Not that complicated at all to understand.

Seems to me that absence of black people in most western scifi (and that's the only kind I know about that's not anime which has its own weirdnesses) is minor compared to the absence of Asians whose numbers worldwide dwarf those of Caucasians and Africans. Of course, really, in a non-dystopian future, I'd expect to see lots more people of mixed heritage in addition to more people of non-European background. So, in the future, earth tones will be back in style, but they'll be on skin, not home decor.

Byron York on Nov. 5: Obama's performance among black voters in Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and Indiana makes it "seem" like he won those states.

There's racism embedded in that, of course, but the racism wouldn't surface if York had anything on (or in) his mind other than playing political gotcha. It's a common dynamic, where the pseudo-journalist has to come up with something to say, something that gives you a 'fresh perspective' or something you hadn't thought of before.

Pretending to be clever is the coin of the realm. York is just trying to cash in. The sad part is that he'll defend it, because that's also part of his job. If he learns from this mistake, then obviously he wasn't really clever after all.

Must maintain illusion!

The number of Jewish Senators in the Democratic caucus makes it seem like the Democrats are a majority in the Senate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_American_politicians#Current_Senators

But if a new survey by the New York Times is accurate, the Republican Party and some of its policies are significantly more popular with the extreme right than with everybody else, and its sky-high ratings among the whackjobs make some of its positions appear a bit less unpopular overall than they actually are.

York's shocking discovery wasn't so much that black people like Barack Obama, it's the even more shocking fact that Democrats like Barack Obama. But saying it that way wouldn't push the right buttons in his target audience, now would it?

Byron York trying to be extra clever but then doesn't notice the crack in the facade.

Greetings from Sigmund Freud, Byron.

Let's not forget the obverse argument. Without all those white men we would never have to worry about the GOP again. Which leads us into the most fervid swamps of race obsession and it's close cousins, like secession. Which to me is more important because at the margin the more emotional see this as an existential threat.

One argument often made about suicide bombers is they are responding to a percieved existential threat to their culture. Which is informed only party by religion.

Take this where you may.

his sky-high ratings among African-Americans make some of his positions appear a bit more popular overall than they actually are

African Americans constituted 12.3 percent of the U.S. population in the 2000 census. Even if no African Americans liked Obama's policies, they would still be darn popular.

his sky-high ratings among African-Americans make some of his positions appear a bit more popular overall than they actually are

African Americans constituted 12.3 percent of the U.S. population in the 2000 census. Even if no African Americans liked Obama's policies, his policies would still be darn popular.

I only care about half of what you write.

Remember that African-Americans voted against George Bush by over 90% - twice. That just shows that they have more political savvy and perhaps, more moral clarity. They were right about Bush and they're right about Obama.

And Ann Coulter, at the very least, has had the chutzpah to say directly what she's really thinking: "If we took away women's right to vote, we'd never have to worry about another Democrat president."

The neat part about it is that if that really did happen, Coulter would still be allowed to vote.

correction: after reading atrios i know only care about 3/5ths of 1/2 of what you write

I know this is unpopular to point out, but we have plenty of evidence (via interviews with hordes of AA supporters over the entire decade long campaign of Obama to reach the white house) that black supporters support him primarily because he is black. Not because of his "policies." Hell, most americans (white, black, or brown) have no idea what his policies even are.

I will never forget the hilarious "man on the street" interviews done by any number of comedians during the primaries that asked black Obama supporters if they agreed with his (insert anti-democratic policy agenda position here). No matter that they were the exact opposite of his actual policy positions, the replies were "Oh yes" "Definitely" "Absolutely!"

Reminded me of the brain dead religious idiots who voted for Bush strictly because he claimed to be an evangelical, born again, Christian. They didn't know and didn't care what his policy positions were, jesus was "just all right with them."

Same with blacks. Obama is black so no matter what the does or says they will always approve of him, even if they don't agree with his policies.

Of course you're a racist if you see that as self evident, right? Even though when Dems realized the same about Bush and his blind followers that wasn't prejudice? Am I right? LOL!

Of course, you can play this "if only populate segment X didn't exist" game forever.

Such as:

* If we didn't have to count Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi we’d never have to worry about Republicans winning national elections. And the average IQ of the nation would go up 15 points.

* If it weren’t for voters who failed evolutionary biology the Democrats would win every election in a landslide.

* If you remove fox news viewers from the country then Obama’s negative rating practically disappears – AND you’d solve 90%of the country’s mental illness problem to boot.

"black voters strongly support the Democratic Party, and have since the 1960s, for a number of complicated reasons."

I wonder if one of those more complex reasons is that Republicans hate black folks (well not all blacks some of them seem to like that Steele fella.) I mean if someone hated me as much as Republicans hate blacks I'd have a tough time joining their club. I really don't see the complexity in that?????

"and his sky-high ratings among African-Americans make some of his positions appear a bit more popular overall than they actually are."

...in the world where sparklies fly around the room when Sarah Palin is on TV

Point being, Anonymous, no one did or would have written an article stating that the "brain dead religious idiots" support of Bush and his policies made them seem more popular than they were, and if they had, they'd be described as anti-religion.

@ Anon 7:22

Typical straw man argument. Black people are not monolithic in case you didn't know. Some black folks were drawn to the man cause of his race (and I as a Black man can understand why.) Some of us like his policy positions especially after the last 8 years of the 43rd President. Some voted for him because he was simply the better candidate. While a few Black folks voted for either McCain or McKinney. It's funny how many of these folks quickly forget that at the beginning of the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton was pulling African-American voters at a ration of almost 3:1 compared to Obama. Explain that Anon.

For the past 230 plus years, most Black folks hardly accused White folks of voting for past Presidents because they were White. Now we have one bi-racial dude in office and all these folks are getting their knickers in a twist.

Red you are hilarious.

Even if Byron York's point is that Obama's ratings are boosted by constituencies that are nearly impossible for him to lose (though it's obvious that York's point is far nastier), how does anyone from the ultimate Bush dead-ender rag National Review find the stones to accuse other people of blind faith?

It's funny how many of these folks quickly forget that at the beginning of the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton was pulling African-American voters at a ration of almost 3:1 compared to Obama. Explain that Anon.

Obama hadn't put the The Clintons are racists meme out there yet? I remember many here quite fond of that one.

And Jupiter laughs at brain-dead republicans. ah sweet rhetoric of blindness.

Anonymous @ 9:16-

"Obama hadn't put the The Clintons are racists meme out there yet?"

Oh Jeez, thanks for the nuanced insight about how allegedly autonomous black folks think. I'd almost forgotten that Obama implanted that "negro do" chip in black folks brains.

And thanks for the reminder that black folks are ungrateful sheeple who are not capable of making up their own minds. I guess that all the Obama machine had to do was just turn up the dial on the negro chip from 3/4ths black support for Mrs. Clinton to "dem two crackas is racist and crazy"
just after Bill Clinton put his foot in his mouth in South Carolina.

Well, if you shove enough welfare checks and enough eternal-victimhood ideology into the hands of folks, you're bound to win a lot of them over.

Of course, those kinds of gifts turn out to be poison. Take a gander at what Dems have done for blacks in places like Detroit. Or Philly. Or St. Louis. Or Cinci. Or Chicago. Or you get the picture.

York is aware, isn't he, that black people are now allowed to vote?

Oh Jeez, thanks for the nuanced insight about how allegedly autonomous black folks think. I'd almost forgotten that Obama implanted that "negro do" chip in black folks brains.

ROFLMAO
Love it when people respond NOT to the argument confronting them, but one they'd rather answer. Rest of rant ignored.

@Anon, I am one of those black voters who was a Hilary supporter early on and voted for her in the CA primary. But over time I was moved to the O camp based on the debates and the "change we need" rhetoric - like much of the Democratic primary electorate. Why is it so hard for you to believe that black people support him for his policies? Just like the dimwitted Palinistas, I am sure there are minorities out there you support O like dittoheads. Black people are just like everyone else...

@dms: the hell they didn't say that about Bush. I guess you just started reading online blogs and mags in the last few months. It was said constantly. And it was true.

@kelvin: considering that 98% of black people voted for him and maybe 2% of the entire population has a clue about his "policies" I don't see how you can characterize it as a "strawman" argument. I guess you didn't see the constant interviews with people of all colors who couldn't tell you a damn thing about what he stood for, yet supported him.

I will tell you one thing, I am a yellow dog democrat, and I think he sucks. Why? Because he thinks we can't break a contract for bonuses for wall street execs, but he has no problem breaking union auto workers contracts. I'm also not so keen about his persistent BS lies about lobbyists. Hell, he built his career on lobbyist fundraising and money (and on money from big shot bankers). But to hear him tell it he is pure as the driven snow.

New boss same as the old boss. Folks need to take off the rose colored glasses.

"for a number of complicated reasons"

=

white code for "I'm a good white team player who refuses to call other white people racist, which means the story I have to tell in its place is very complicated."

Isn't it Moseley-Braun?

"It's funny how many of these folks quickly forget that at the beginning of the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton was pulling African-American voters at a ration of almost 3:1 compared to Obama. Explain that Anon.'

Easily explained. At the beginning Obama wasn't seen as a viable candidate. After his early strong showings blacks overwhelmingly voted for him. That's not opinion, that is documented fact.

The fact that Obama enjoys substantial support simply because of the color of his skin is blindingly obvious. I don't even know what it is controversial. I mean, white Democrats split pretty evenly between him and Clinton, yet blacks were damn near monolithic.

You are really going to tell me with a straight face that this is simply a product of a careful examination of the issues (on which there was precious little daylight separating the two)?

Byron York is essentially telling us that there is a group of voters out that are likely to give Obama their stamp of approval that are not related to policy actions. He's black, and that's enough for them. And for those that doubt, simply look at what York wrote and note the % of blacks that believe the economy is in pretty good shape, a statement which is clearly not rooted in any kind of fact.

"his sky-high ratings among African-Americans make some of his positions appear a bit more popular overall than they actually are"

The pollster forgot to adjust the figures by applying a 3/5 weighting factor to those responses.

@Colin

Blacks supported Bill Clinton in the same lopsided numbers. If skin color were that significant, then blacks would flock to a black Republican, but they don't.

It's not race, it's which party best represents their interests.

Byron Dork is trying to be too cute by half but it isn't working because his smarminess isn't even that cute.

I too am a Tennesseean and can attest to the fact that Gov. Bredesen holds working people in contempt. Whether it is gutting TennCare or shredding the safety net or workers compensation, this man is a cheerleader for big insurance and big medicine.

I too am a Tennesseean and can attest to the fact that Gov. Bredesen holds working people in contempt. Whether it is gutting TennCare or shredding the safety net or workers compensation, this man is a cheerleader for big insurance and big medicine.